Summer/Fall 2006
Sludge Recycling Sends Antiseptic Soap
Ingredient to Agriculture
R
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health measured levels of an antibacterial
hand soap ingredient, triclocarban, as it passed through a
wastewater treatment facility. They determined that
approximately 75 percent of the ingredient washed
down the drain by consumers persists during wastewater
treatment and accumulates in municipal sludge, which
later is used as fertilizer for crops. Their findings are
presented in a study
appearing in the online
and print editions of the
journal Environmental
Science & Technology.
More studies are
underway to determine if
triclocarban, which is
toxic when ingested, can
migrate from sludge into
foods, thereby potentially
posing a human health
risk.
Senior author Rolf U. Halden, PhD, assistant
professor and co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Center
for Water and Health, said, “Triclocarban does not break
down easily even under the intense measures applied
during wastewater treatment. Triclocarban is leading a
peculiar double life. Following its intended use as a
topical antiseptic, we are effectively and inadvertently
using it as an agricultural pesticide that is neither regulated
nor monitored.”
For the study, the
Hopkins researchers
collected samples from
a large urban sewage
treatment facility in the
eastern United States.
Over a period of
weeks, they tracked the
mass of triclocarban
entering the plant in
wastewater and leaving
it in reclaimed water and
“The observed
municipal sludge.
persistence of triclocarban
Measurements were
is remarkable,” said lead
done by isotope dilution
Rolf Halden, PhD, PE, assistant professor and co-founder of
author, Jochen Heidler, a
mass spectrometry, a
the Johns Hopkins Center for Water and Health, said,
PhD candidate in the
cutting-edge approach in
“Triclocarban does not break down easily even under the
Bloomberg School’s
environmental analytical
intense measures applied during wastewater treatment...
Department of
chemistry. Using the
Following its intended use as a topical antiseptic, we are
Environmental Health
acquired information on
effectively and inadvertently using it as an agricultural
pesticide that is neither regulated nor monitored.”
Sciences. “In the
chemical concentrations
wasterwater treatment
and flow volumes
plant, the chemical contained in sludge underwent
within the facility, they calculated the total mass of
biological treatment for an average period of almost
three weeks, yet very little degradation took place.”
continued on page 5
Under the Microscope
Research News from the Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Researchers Discover Gene Critical for Protection Against
Septic-Shock-Induced Death
Findings May Offer Therapeutic Potential for Sepsis Treatment
D
Disruption of a single gene, Nrf2, plays a critical role
in regulating the body’s innate immune response to sepsis
and septic shock, according to a study by a research
team led by Shyam Biswal, PhD, at the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers
found that the absence of Nrf2 caused a dramatic
increase in mortality due to septic shock in mice. The
study’s findings, which will be published in the April
2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, may
hold potential for the treatment of life-threatening sepsis.
Suspecting that a dysregulation in the body’s
inflammatory response exacerbates sepsis, the research
team began looking into the genetic factors that might
contribute to this syndrome. In 2002, Biswal and his
colleagues discovered that Nrf2 acts as a primary
regulator of most of the cellular antioxidant pathways
and detoxifying enzymes that protect the body from a
wide variety of environmental toxicants. In subsequent
studies, they discovered that Nrf2 is a pleiotropic protein
that regulates a broad spectrum of genes used by the
host to defend against a variety of stresses, including
oxidative and
inflammatory diseases
such as cigarette-smokeinduced emphysema and
allergic asthma in mice
models.
Sepsis is a complex disease characterized by an
increased inflammatory
response in the body’s
attempt to combat an
infection from
microorganisms such as
bacteria, fungi or viruses. A
weak host inflammatory
Biswal’s team found
response can lead to greater
that the deletion of the
infection, whereas an
Nrf2 gene increased the
excessive inflammatory
inflammatory response
response may lead to tissue
and caused early death in
damage, myocardial injury,
mice subjected to septic
acute respiratory failure,
peritonitis or endotoxin
multiple organ failure or
shock or both. Mice
death. Controlling
deficient in the Nrf2
inflammation is thus a
gene expressed
Biswal’s team found that the deletion of the Nrf2 gene
central focus of treating
dramatically increased
increased the inflammatory response and caused early
sepsis. Researchers have
levels of effector
death in mice subjected to septic peritonitis or endotoxin
been hunting for novel host
molecules (cytokines)
shock or both. The findings provide a better understanding
genes that regulate
that mediate innate
of the human body’s defense mechanisms to sepsis and
septic
shock,
and
may
provide
clues
to
designing
novel
inflammation as potential
immune response, the
therapies that could minimize mortality.
targets for the next
body’s first line of
generation of sepsis
defense. “Sepsis
therapies. The incidence of sepsis in the United States
syndrome is like a speeding car with a brake failure.
ranges from 400,000 to 750,000 cases per year. Mortality
Nrf2 may function like a brake that regulates the speed,”
due to sepsis is around 30 percent and increases with age
said Biswal, senior author of the study and assistant
from 10 percent in children to 40 percent in the elderly.
professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of
Mortality is 50 percent or greater in patients with the
Environmental Health Sciences. Biswal speculates that
more severe syndrome, septic shock.
continued on page 9
Department Holds Biannual Research Retreat
T
This past January, the Department of Environmental
Health Sciences continued its Winter Retreat tradition,
gathering at the Mount Washington Conference Center,
nestled among rolling hills of Baltimore. More than 100
attended, which included faculty, staff, graduate students,
and postdocs. This retreat gives researchers in the
Department an opportunity to present their latest
findings in a comfortable atmosphere and discover
common research interests. The Retreat’s program
consisted of more than 20 faculty presentations and
several panel discussions.
The day began with an overview of the Department
of Environmental Health Sciences as presented by Dr.
John Groopman. Particularly noteworthy were the
positive growth trends in the environmental health
sciences and overall departmental revenue. The NIH
road map will have a major impact on funding priorities.
This will guide research priorities within the Department
for the next several years. The research retreat provided
an outstanding mechanism for departmental researchers
to exchange ideas and set up fruitful collaborations.
on the health impacts of clean up workers after the
World Trade Center collapse, followed by Dr. Kellogg
Schwab with a presentation on his work in New Orleans
following Hurricane Katrina (see related story). Dr. Lynn
Goldman introduced the new Center for the Study of
High Consequence Events Preparedness and Response,
which she will be heading. The mission of the Center is
to improve our nation’s preparedness for and response
to large-scale disasters.
The presentation theme for the first day included
public health and disaster preparedness. Dr. Jon Links
introduced the role of environmental health in disaster
preparedness. Dr. Alison Geyh spoke about her research
Following lunch, new faculty members were given
the opportunity to present their research, with plenty of
time for feedback and questions after their talks. The
second day ended with a productive session on children’s
health issues and developmental neurotoxicity.
Professor Lynn Goldman to Play Important
Role in Homeland Security Center
W
We may be unable to prevent earthquakes, epidemics
or all terrorist attacks, but effective preparation and
response will save lives when a disaster strikes.
Improving our nation’s preparedness for and response
to large-scale disasters will be the mission of a new $15
million research consortium established at Johns Hopkins
University by the Department of Homeland Security.
The new Center for the Study of High Consequence
Event Preparedness and Response will be headed by
Lynn Goldman, MD, MPH, professor of
Environmental Health Sciences at the Bloomberg
School, and Gabe Kellen, MD, chair of Emergency
Medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Goldman emphasizes that the center will take an “all
hazards” approach to preparedness and disaster
response. “We are focusing not just on terrorism, but
natural disasters, bombs, epidemics, even warfare, which
can impact a great number of people,” said Goldman.
Drawing upon the resources and expertise of 22
institutions nationwide, the consortium will examine the
theory and practice of emergency preparedness and
response, including the issues involved in critical decisionmaking, the integration of regional resources, the
ability of medical facilities to respond to a sudden
influx of patients, and health systems integration.
“We are taking a multidisciplinary approach to
problem solving. Public health will be a partner in
this, but we will learn how engineers approach
problems and they will learn from what we
have to offer,” said Goldman.
While at Johns Hopkins Hospital to
announce the consortium, Department of
Homeland Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff said he believed that scientific
research was essential for ensuring sound
planning and decision-making. To
illustrate his point, he noted that the
recent decision to change security
screening measures for airline
passengers was “based on careful,
sustained and thoughtful
consideration of the risks.” Among
the projects involving the Bloomberg
School, the Center intends to develop a
tool to help communities assess their risk to
a high consequence event, whether man-
Improving our nation’s preparedness for and
response to large-scale disasters will be the
mission of a new research consortium established
at Johns Hopkins University.
made or naturally occurring. According to Goldman,
better risk assessment tools can help communities
determine their vulnerabilities and address their needs.
“As Secretary Chertoff stated, we can’t keep adding on
layer upon layer of prevention and, if we could, we
would probably have a world we wouldn’t want to live
in. We need to help communities invest more wisely.”
Another key goal of the consortium will be
educating the next generation of leaders in the
issues related to preparing and responding to
critical events. The Bloomberg School will be
involved in developing preparedness education
programs through its Center for Public Health
Preparedness, led by Jonathan Links, PhD,
professor in the Department of Environmental
Health Sciences.
The Center for the Study of High
Consequence Event Preparedness and
Response is the fifth center of
excellence established by the
Department of Homeland Security. It
was chosen from among 34 other
proposals. In addition to participation
from the Schools of Medicine and
Public Health, the center will also involve
faculty from the Applied Physics Laboratory,
the Nitze School of Advanced International
Studies, the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences,
the School of Professional Studies in Business
and Education and the Whiting School of
Engineering.
continued from page 1
triclocarban entering the plant and the chemical’s
behavior during treatment.
According to the study, the facility was highly
effective in removing triclocarban from wastewater.
Only about 3 percent of triclocarban molecules entering
the plant were discharged into surface water along with
the treated effluent. However, very little degradation of
the triclocarban occurred, due to the compound’s
polychlorinated aromatic chemical structure.
Approximately 75 percent of the initial mass
accumulated in sludge, where it remained chemically
unchanged. Anaerobic digestion reduced the overall
sludge volume but not the quantity of triclocarban,
thereby concentrating the antiseptic agent to levels several
thousand-fold higher than those found in raw
wastewater. At the particular plant observed, 95 percent
of the sludge is recycled for other uses, such as being
sold as a soil conditioner and crop fertilizer.
Soap ingredient, triclocarban, was detected in
municipal sludge, a by-product of wastewater
treatment.
“The irony is twofold,” said Halden. “First, to
protect our health, we mass-produce and use a toxic
chemical which the Food and Drug Administration has
determined has no scientifically proven benefit. Second,
when we try to do the right thing by recycling nutrients
contained in biosolids, we end up spreading a known
reproductive toxicant on the soil where we grow our
food. The study shows just how important it is to
consider the full life cycle of the chemicals we
manufacture for use in our daily life.”
Halden’s previous research determined that
triclocarban, similar to the structurally related
antimicrobial triclosan, also contaminates rivers and
streams across the United States.
O
EHS Students Take the “Toxic Tour”
On Thursday, March 30th, the Environmental Health
Sciences Student Organization (EHSSO) sponsored a
van ride for interested students around East Baltimore to
learn about the environmental hazards and problems that
impact the community. Participants saw first-hand the
companies and locations that cause public health
problems in our local neighborhoods. The tour, led by
Glenn Ross, co-chair of Environmental Justice
Partnership (EJP) helped to highlight EJP’s work in the
community to advocate for environmental justice.
Honors and Awards
Honors and Awards of Faculty and Students of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Patrick Breysse Honored by ACGIH
Patrick N. Breysse, PhD,
MHS, professor and
director, Division of
Environmental Health
Engineering, Department
of Environmental Health
Sciences, has received the
2006 Meritorious
Achievement Award from
the American Conference
of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists (ACGIH). Dr.
Breysse was honored May
14 for his “outstanding, long-term contribution to the
field of occupational health and industrial hygiene” at the
American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition
in Chicago.
Steven An Honored at ATS Meeting
At the 2005 annual meeting of the American
Thoracic Society, Dr. Steven An was honored with the
Ann Woolcock Award for outstanding contributions and
future promise in asthma research.
Thaddeus Graczyk Recipient of National
Ocean Service Unit Citation Award
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service
conferred its Unit Citation Award to a team of scientists,
including the Department of Environmental Health
Sciences’ Dr. Thaddeus Graczyk. Graczyk and the team
were recognized for providing scientific leadership in
developing and
implementing innovative
techniques leading to the
discovery of
Cryptosporidium in U.S.
commercial shellfish and
completing the first study to
measure levels of the human
pathogen in shellfish
throughout the Atlantic and
Gulf Coast region.
Neal Burton Brings Home Top Honors
from Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting
Neal Burton won first place in the pre-doctoral
student competition of the Neurotoxicology Specialty
Section at the Annual Meeting of the Society of
Toxicology in San Diego, CA. He was selected first out
of seventeen abstracts submitted from pre-doctoral
students across the United States. His work also placed in
the top ten abstracts in neurotoxicology, ranking second
out of forty submitted.
Wayne Mitzner Recognized at ATS Annual
Meeting
At the 2005 annual meeting of the American
Thoracic Society, Dr. Wayne
Mitzner was honored with the
Joseph R. Rodarte Award for
Scientific Distinction, achievements,
and contributions to the fields of
respiratory physiology and
medicine.Mitzner has also been
appointed chair of the Respiratory
Integrative Biology and
Translational Research Study
Section, for the next two years, 2006 -2008
2005-2006 School-Wide Recognition for
Excellence Awards
Golden Apple
Jonathan Links
Advising, Mentoring & Teaching Recognition
Alison Geyh
In the Community
Research News of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Assessing the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
F
Four days after Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S.
Gulf Coast, Kellogg Schwab, PhD, was on a plane to
Alabama, sent there by the American Red Cross to assist
with the assessment of shelters in the region. Schwab,
associate professor in the Department of
Environmental Health Sciences and co-director of the
Bloomberg School’s Center for Water and Health, was
part of a four-person team of
medical
and public health experts.
They made their way from Alabama to the
Mississippi coastline, an area struck by the eye of
Hurricane Katrina.
“As we started going down toward the area, there
was an obvious lack of infrastructure
as it was devastated from the
hurricane,” said Schwab. “Telephone
wires were down—all the phone
systems were intermittent at best.”
He added, “There was no power at
some of these shelters. It was very
hot and it was very dark, because
there was no power in the cities
surrounding these areas. But people
were coping for the most part.
They were getting food and
getting water to drink.”
According to Schwab, the
lack of communication made it difficult for relief
workers to get needed supplies and services to the
shelters. Schwab recounted an instance where a disaster
management team from Florida arrived at a Red Cross
shelter to announce they had taken charge of the relief
efforts in the region. Within 20 minutes, a disaster
management team from Alabama arrived and claimed it
was in charge.
However, most of the shelters they surveyed along
the Mississippi coast had bottled water and food, he said.
Medical personnel were able treat the sick and injured,
but medications for diabetes and high blood pressure
were still needed for people with underlying chronic
conditions. A few shelter
clients were suffering
withdrawal from alcohol
or drugs, said Schwab. He
added, “The people were
resilient. They were coping
very well under very
extreme conditions.”
While bottled water was
available for drinking, safe
continued on page 9
Recreational Roundup
News on Recreational Activities of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Monthly Jolt Continues
D
Donut day is gaining momentum. EHS faculty,
students and staff continue to gather monthly in the
departmental office to begin their day with doughnuts
and coffee. These gatherings provide an opportunity to
network and discuss issues with others from across the
Department. “These get-togethers are devoted
to developing a stronger, more productive
Department,” says Chair Dr. John Groopman.
Student Group Sponsors Holiday Happy Hour
F
Following the Departmental Research Retreat, the
EHS Student Organization sponsored a winter happy
hour. The annual event allows faculty and students to
mingle outside of the classroom setting, enjoying a
holiday buffet and unwinding from the hectic end of the
semester schedule. The event is designed to allow faculty
and students to get to know each other in a fun
environment “Basically, we are a blend of different
programs ranging from toxicology and physiology to
environmental health engineering and occupational
health,” explained Departmental Chair Dr. John
Groopman. “The event helps build a sense of
community within the Department.”
contined from page 7
waste water disposal remained an issue. Some shelters
did not have running water and had to rely on portable
toilets, Schwab said. Other shelters had running water,
but there was no equipment to determine if the water
was safe for drinking or showering.
“If piped water has lost pressure, as when the pumps
are shut off, this can cause the potential for having
contaminants in your water supply,” said Schwab.
“Showering in it, using it for washing your hands—that’s
something people should be made aware of—that this is
a potentially compromised system.”
contined from page 2
suboptimal function of Nrf2 may be one reason why
some intensive-care patients progress into severe sepsis
and die.
“Nrf2 protects from septic shock by two
mechanisms,” explained lead author Rajesh
Thimmulappa, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in
Environmental Health Sciences, Bloomberg School of
Public Health. “First, Nrf2 protects from dysregulation
of host inflammatory response, which is a characteristic
feature of septic shock. Secondly, Nrf2 protects from
oxidative pathological damage, the main cause of multiorgan failure during septic shock. Hence, Nrf2 can be a
promising therapeutic target for attenuating septic-related
deaths.”
According to Biswal, the findings provide a better
understanding of the human body’s defense mechanisms
against sepsis and septic shock, and may provide clues to
designing novel therapies that could minimize mortality.
The researchers are now trying to find if activation of
Nrf2 by a small-molecule drug can minimize
pathological damage and improve survival during sepsis
caused by bacteria or viruses. Future studies will
determine the therapeutic potential of targeting Nrf2 for
treatment of sepsis and other inflammatory diseases that
impact public health.
environmental health sciences
and disaster preparedness
Schwab noted that the Red Cross, which largely relies
on volunteers, needed more staff to handle the
emergency. With the hundreds of shelters and the sheer
numbers of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina,
many of the shelters surveyed were both understaffed
and overwhelmed. “The Red Cross, at the individual
level, were working hard and doing good things under
tough conditions,” said Schwab.
The threat of terrorist attacks, man-made
accidents, and natural disasters establishes the need for
a well-prepared public health workforce trained in the
prevention and control of biological, chemical, and
physical agents. Practitioners must be able to anticipate,
recognize, and respond to many issues. The skills
needed to deal with such threats—exposure
assessment, risk management and communication,
disaster preparedness, response and recovery, policy
and law—are the sorts of things that environmental
health scientists know all about. Environmental health
scientists play a unique role in identifying potentially
harmful environmental exposures and examining
health risks associated with natural, accidental, or
terrorist emergencies. To educate professionals in
disaster preparedness, the Department of
Environmental Health Sciences provides training
across a spectrum of disciplines, including airborne
agents, food and water security, dirty bombs and
radiological terrorism, and public health preparedness.
The Urb Blurb
News from the Johns Hopkins Center in Urban Environmental Health
NIEHS-Funded Study Finds New Protective Compound Against Liver Cancer
S
Scientists have identified a new compound called
CDDO-Im works by activating Nrf2, a master switch
CDDO-Im that protects against the development of
known to direct certain enzymes to stimulate the cell’s
liver cancer in laboratory animals. Experiments, led by
defense mechanisms and remove harmful chemicals
researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
from cells. “Activation of the Nrf2 pathway with
Public Health, show CDDO-Im to be effective at doses
CDDO-Im could provide protection against a number
100 times lower than other
of diseases triggered by
compounds known to prevent
“When cells become inflamed, they can produce environmental agents,” said
cancer in people. Because of its reactive molecules, called free radicals, that can Thomas Kensler, PhD, a
makeup, the researchers believe
damage DNA and promote cancer development,” professor with the Bloomberg
explained Kensler. “CDDO-Im can also inhibit
CDDO-Im could be
School’s Department of
cancer formation by interfering with this
particularly effective in
Environmental Health Sciences
inflammatory
process.”
preventing cancers with a strong
and lead author of the study.
link to inflammation, such as
In their research, Kensler and his colleagues treated
liver, colon, prostate and gastric cancers. It could also
laboratory rats with varying doses of CDDO-Im. Two
play a role in preventing diseases such as
days after treatment with CDDO-Im, the rats were
neurodegeneration, asthma and emphysema. The
given aflatoxin, a naturally occurring cancer-causing
findings are featured in the February 15, 2006, issue of
toxin. CDDO-Im treatment led to an 85 percent
the journal Cancer Research.
reduction in pre-cancerous lesions at the lowest dose of
CDDO-Im is a
50 micrograms per rat and a 99 percent reduction at the
synthetic compound that
highest dose of 5 milligrams.
belongs to a class of
Like other compounds derived from oleanolic acid,
cancer-fighting
CDDO-Im also has strong anti-inflammatory
compounds called
properties, which the researchers say makes it ideally
triterpenoids under
suited to the prevention of certain cancers. “When cells
development by Dr.
become inflamed, they can produce reactive molecules,
Michael Sporn and other
called free radicals, that can damage DNA and promote
study co-authors at
cancer development,” explained Kensler. “CDDO-Im
Dartmouth Medical
can also inhibit cancer formation by interfering with this
School. It is derived
inflammatory process.”
from oleanolic acid, a
naturally occurring
Because it can stimulate the body’s defense
substance
found
in
many
mechanisms at such low doses, Kensler believes that
With NIEHS support, Dr.
plants.
Other
oleanolic
CDDO-Im is an excellent candidate for cancer
Kensler and colleagues
derivatives
are
known
to
have identified a new
prevention in humans. “If this compound can produce
compound that protects
reduce tumor growth in
such a potent and dramatic reduction in the number of
against the development animals and humans.
of liver cancer in
laboratory animals.
Researchers believe
continued on page 12
NIEHS-Funded Study Finds Nonnative Oysters in Chesapeake
Bay Offer Benefits and Risks
T
The introduction of Asian oysters (Crassostrea
ariakensis) to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay holds
potential benefits to the environment as well as public
health risks, according to a study by researchers at the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Findings showed that C. ariakensis, when grown in
aquacultures, effectively and efficiently remove human
pathogens from the water. However, the researchers also
found that some human pathogens accumulated and
persisted in Asian oysters up to five times longer than in
native oysters. They concluded that the nonnative oysters
could pose a health threat if harvested from polluted
waters and consumed raw. The study is the first to
examine the public health impact of nonnative oysters in
the Chesapeake Bay and is published in the May 2006
edition of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Native oysters commercially harvested from the
Chesapeake Bay have been shown to contain
human enteric pathogens. However, nothing was
known about the recovery efficiency, retention,
and inactivation rate of such pathogens by
nonnative oysters.
Health Sciences. “Our study indicated that nonnative
oysters could provide excellent ecological services in
regard to cleaning the Bay of infectious agents.
However, these environmental benefits are associated
with public health risk when these oysters are intended
for human consumption.”
The introduction of nonnative oysters into the
Chesapeake Bay has been proposed as necessary
for restoration of the oyster industry. Graczyk’s
field investigations have included a field study to
determine the public health risks related to
contamination of these oysters with human
waterborne pathogens.
Some policymakers have proposed introducing the
nonnative oyster, C. ariakensis, to replace the dwindling
population of the native oyster, C. virginica. The study
authors note that C. ariakensis holds promise for
rebuilding the oyster harvesting industry because it grows
to market size in one year, half the time it takes native
oysters to reach market size.
“Introducing nonnative oysters to the Chesapeake
Bay is filled with unknowns and may have unintended
consequences,” said Thaddeus K. Graczyk, PhD,
associate professor in the Department of Environmental
The study was conducted by observing commercialsized C. ariakensis in a 30-gallon tank of water. The
oysters were exposed to varying levels of water salinity
to simulate conditions in the Chesapeake Bay and to
several human pathogens, including: Cryptosporidium and
Giardia lamblia, which are common causes of diarrhea,
and several microsporidian parasites known to cause
illness in humans.
According to the study, Cryptosporidium continued to
be detected in the nonnative oysters up to 33 days after
exposure in the water. Giardia lamblia cysts were
detectable up to 14 days following exposure.
“Recovery, Bioaccumulation, and Inactivation of
Human Waterborne Pathogens by the Chesapeake Bay
Nonnative Oyster, Crassostrea ariakensis” was written by
Thaddeus Graczyk, Autumn Girouard,
Leena Tamang, Sharon Nappier and
Kellogg Schwab.
The study was supported by a grant
from the the Johns Hopkins NIEHS
Center in Urban Environmental Health.
continued from page 10
pre-cancerous growths, it should have an equally
dramatic impact on the development of actual cancers.
This study suggests that we may be on the right track in
terms of chemoprevention. It may open the door for a
new class of compounds that could prevent a number
of diseases,” said Kensler.
The National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences and the National Cancer Institute, agencies of
the Federal National Institutes of Health, provided
funding to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health for the study.
Preparing Middle School Students for Careers in
Environmental Health Sciences
There was only one place for career-minded youth
to be on Wednesday, April 26: the Career Day at
Rognel Heights Middle School. The Baltimore City
school’s hallway was transformed into a career
center for students to explore different vocations.
Hundreds of students attended the career day,
where they learned about careers in science and
related fields from Dr. Michael Trush, NIEHS
Outreach Coordinator. The students found out
about the world-class NIEHS research at the Center
in Urban Environmental Health that has led to
numerous discoveries.
In order to engage the students in environmental
health sciences, Dr. Trush brought a poster on
asthma, along with lungs from a dog. Students, full
of chatter and giggles, were quickly engaged once
Trush showed them the dog lungs and explained
how the environment has an effect on lung health.
“It is important for students to see a connection
between what they learn in school and their future
careers,” explains Dr. Trush. “Today helped
students recognize their interests and aptitudes,
and understand how those abilities might fit into a
career in science.”
Nature Walk Helps Urban Students Learn About the Environment
What’s the best way for children to be introduced
to environmental health sciences? “Not everything
we want students to know about science can be
learned firsthand in the classroom,” explains Dr.
Michael Trush, NIEHS Outreach Coordinator. “Our
educational program emphasizes a hands-on
learning experience. We help students learn about
our environment by observation, experimentation,
and experience.”
As students were lead through the nature walk,
Trush stopped at areas of interest to explain
environmental issues facing our society.
The NIEHS Center Outreach includes education
programs targeted towards students and teachers
of urban elementary schools. The annual nature
walk is designed to promote activities that
supplement curriculum-based learning and inschool education programs.
The walk began with a brief introduction to
topography. Students reviewed a large topographic
map and learned about watersheds and its impact
on human health.
Connecting to the Curriculum
Winter Colloquium Helps Teachers Implement Environmental Health Lessons
In January, the annual Winter Colloquium brought
together interdisciplinary teacher teams from area
middle schools to develop and implement
environmental health lessons and activities. The
intensive workshop included lectures, tutorials,
seminars, and hands-on exercises.
Participants became acquainted with a variety of
environmental health science topics and
instructional/resource materials, including
teacher’s guides, hands-on activities, and Internetdelivered curriculum. Many of these materials are
made available for use by Maryland teachers
through NIEHS-funding.
New Web-Based Tool Assists Public Health Professionals in
Understanding Community Well-Being
T
The Johns Hopkins NIEHS Center in Urban
Environmental Health has launched a new interactive
Web-based tool for local public health officials to use in
characterizing county-level indicators that are related to
county health outcomes. On-line reports and data are
designed to broaden public health professionals
understanding of what affects health locally, providing
vital information about their community. The new Basics
of Living (BOL) Web tool is based on research to be
published in the Applied Research for Quality of Life Journal
and provides quick and easy access to many measures
and tables for every U.S. county.
♦ County demographics and selected health
indicators—i.e. all cause mortality, degree of prenatal
care, and percentage of teen births.
♦ User-selectable, multiple geographic areas may be
requested and compared—county by county or county
to state, region, nation.
To view county information, go to http://
www.communityPHIND.net and click on Basics of
Living Index Data on left-hand side menu.
The tool provides valuable information for every
U.S. County, including:
♦ Basics of Living Index—a county-specific composite
measure of nine determinants representing fundamental
human needs.
♦ The constituent determinants of the basics of living
index—i.e. air quality measures, plumbing statistics, and
poverty data.
This new interactive tool will help local public
health agencies involved in assessing, preventing,
or addressing public health problems to better
understand community well-being.
Six Pilot Projects Receive 2006-07 NIEHS Funding
E
Each year, the NIEHS Center in Urban
Environmental Health provides seed funding of new
ideas that hold promise in the generation of preliminary
data in support of subsequent grant applications. The
program benefits include facilitating research into areas
and methods important to environmental health and
stimulating collaboration between investigators. The
2006-2007 grant recipients are:
Influence of Urban PM on Airway Epithelial
Immune Processes
Ernst William Spannhake
Exposure to urban air toxins is well known to trigger
exacerbations of asthma symptoms in susceptible
asthmatics and may, according to some recent studies,
also participate in the development of new asthma
disease in children. A component of urban air pollution
of special interest in particulate matter (PM). The
mechanisms through which PM in the urban
environment may enhance or initiate disease are not well
understood. The proposed
experiments will investigate
the influence of ambient PM
on the expression and
functional efficiency of
costimulatory molecules on
the surfaces of human
bronchial epithelial cells that
modulate T cell immune
activity. Ambient PM to be
used in these studies will be collected by the recentlyestablished Hopkins Particulate Matter Research Center.
Studying Associations in Neuroimages: An
Empirical Bayes Approach
Sining Chen
Occupational lead exposure is found to be associated
with declines in cognitive function. In order to better
understand the mechanisms of lead exposure influencing
the central nervous system, this
study will look at the
relationship among lead
exposure, structural changes in
the brain and cognitive function
decline. Levels of peak tibia
lead, structural magnetic
resonance images of the brain,
and neurobehavioral test scores
are being evaluated from current and former lead
workers to determine if there exists an association
between brain volume and peak tibia lead, and between
brain volume and neurobehavioral test performance, on
a voxel to voxel basis.
Effects of Environmental Estrogenic
Chemicals on Estrogen Receptor
Signaling Pathways
Jim Yager
There is great concern that exposure to
environmental agents that can disrupt estrogen action is a
cause of adverse health effects in humans, particularly
those living in urban areas--ranging from developmental
and reproductive abnormalities to breast and other
cancers. Recently, several metals including cadmium, lead,
chromium, and arsenic have
been shown to have
estrogenic effects and/or
disrupt estrogen action. In the
Baltimore region, these
contaminates are among
those found in landfills,
dumps, and industrial sites
adjacent to steams that feed
in to the Chesapeake Bay.
These agents contaminate
seafood caught locally and
consumed by local residents. Recent advances in
mechanisms of estrogen receptor (ER) signaling have
revealed three inter-related pathways--nuclear ER,
mitochondrial ER, and membrane ER. This project will
develop preliminary data on the effects of representative
PCBs and Cd on each arm of ER-mediated signaling.
Lead Dose and Markers of Cardiovascular
Function in Korean Lead Workers
Ana Navas-Acien
The main objective of this project is to investigate the
association of lead dose, as measured in blood, tibia
bone, and patella bone with markers of inflammation
among lead exposed Korean workers. Lead is a main
urban environmental hazard. Despite a dramatic decline
in the last decades in the U.S., certain populations
continue to experience high lead exposure. This includes
inner city children and adults of low socioeconomic
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continued from page 15
status, particularly AfricanAmericans. This project will
provide mechanistic data to
help explain the
cardiovascular effects of
lead and it may provide the
rationale for undertaking
future epidemiologic
studies to investigate the
association of lead dose
and clinical cardiovascular
endpoints.
Spatial and Temporal Distribution and
Host-Sources of Human Enteric Parasites
in Surface Waters of the Baltimore
Metropolitan Area
Thaddeus Graczyk
Recreational contact with surface water within the
Baltimore metropolitan area exposes water users to
human waterborne pathogens, which inflict considerable
morbidity on healthy
people and cause
mortality in
immunosuppressed
individuals. Waterborne
pathogens are not
uniformly distributed in
the water volume in a
spatial or temporal
manner. Because of
technological difficulties,
dispersion and
distribution of
pathogens in surface waters is not studied. Graczyk has
adopted and tuned technology for simultaneous
sampling of various water layers, together with parasite
identification to address this neglected area of research.
The overarching goal of the proposed project is to
characterize spatial and temporal distribution and
dispersion of human enteric pathogens in the surface
waters of Baltimore metropolitan area, and to reveal the
host-sources of waterborne contamination with
Cryptosporidium.
Getting the Word Out: Developing a
System of Research – Community
Collaboration to Increase Community
Involvement in Research and Research
Dissemination to the East Baltimore
Community
Nancy Kass
Many urban environmental studies have measured
toxic exposures in highrisk communities and/or
tested interventions to
reduce exposure.
Unfortunately, due in part
to a lack of communityresearch partnerships,
trust, and institutional
infrastructure support,
studies often are planned
with limited, if any, input
from local communities,
and study findings often
do not reach the communities that stand to benefit the
most. This proposed pilot study will develop a twopronged approach to address these challenges. First, it
will create a systematic means of facilitating community
awareness of, and input into JHSPH environmental
health studies conducted in East Baltimore. Second,
through the efforts of a community outreach worker
and the Maryland Institute College of Art, this pilot
study will help to create a model, pilot system for
dissemination of research findings to local communities
Michael Trush Receives 2006 JHU Diversity
Recognition Award
P
Professor Michael Trush was the recipient of a Johns Hopkins 2006 Diversity
Recognition Award for his commitment to the advancement of diversity, inclusion
and multiculturalism. As deputy director of the NIEHS Center for Urban
Environmental Health, Trush works with diverse and disadvantaged populations.
His passion for environmental justice is bridging the gap between Hopkins and the
surrounding community. Trush is also involved in the School’s Diversity Summer
Internship Program (DSIP), putting together a faculty lecture series for the ten-week
DSIP. The Ceremony was held on May 2 at the Homewood campus.
Internationally-Recognized Jack Elias Delivers Menkes Lecture
T
The richness of life
at the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of
Public Health is
enhanced by annual
lectures and special
observances. These
programs are in
addition to a wide
spectrum of lectures,
films, workshops, and
seminars offered by
individual departments
and organizations in
the Hopkins
community. Each year,
the Department of
Environmental Health
Sciences sponsors the
Harold and Marilyn
Menkes Memorial
Lecture in lung health and disease. The lectureship was
established to honor the Menkes’ particular devotion to
teaching and research. Each year a leading pulmonary
scientist is invited to the School to interact with students,
fellows, and faculty.
Dr. Elias, a Professor of Medicine and Chief of
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Yale
University School of Medicine, is a widely quoted
expert in research related to both asthma and chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). His primary
research deals with understanding and modulating the
genetic and molecular signaling involved with the
pathogenesis of these diseases, with the hope of
developing new therapies. With nearly 150 scientific
publications, dozens of editorials and book chapters,
50 trainees and fellows, and membership on 12 journal
editorial boards, his work and ideas have had a major
influence on our current concepts of lung health and
disease. A reception followed the lecture.
This year’s lecture was held on November 17, 2005.
Internationally recognized Dr. Jack A. Elias delivered the
lecture, entitled “Mechanisms of Alveolar Destruction in
COPD.”
About our publication
Connection is a free e-publication of the NIEHS Center in Urban Environmental Health and the Department
of Environmental Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The name
Connection reflects the Center’s role, linking basic, population and clinical research in environmental health to
public health intervention strategies.
Editorial Staff
Brian Fitzek, Research Associate
Dan Gudgel, Publication Specialist
NIEHS Center in Urban Environmental Health
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Department of Environmental Health Sciences
615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205
tel: (443) 287-2905 Œ fax: (410) 955-0617 Œ email: [email protected]
Departmental website: www.jhsph.edu/Dept/EHS
Center in Urban Environmental Health website: www.jhsph.edu/Dept/EHS/Centers